Recently, users are turning to more sophisticated personal digital assistants (PDAs) rather than more basic network-connected devices such as cell phones. Mobile phones that have the capability to send and receive data via data subscriptions to a network have become more prevalent. The capabilities of these mobile phones, often referred to as “smart phones”, have led to them being viewed more as mobile computers rather than simplistic communication devices. Smart phones also often feature short range wireless transmitters and protocols, such as Bluetooth, specifically designed for communicating with other devices or accessories nearby.
Bluetooth watches in the past have been provided which support caller ID and text messages. However, the information it displayed was brief as it was limited to a one-line display.
There exists a method for synchronizing data between a watch and an external digital device as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,868 to Brewer et al. This method requires the user to initiate the synchronization by contacting the watch display, which causes the microprocessor in the watch to activate and begin the synchronization process. Consequently, the user is not able to instantly check for new data by looking at the watch. The user must wait for the microprocessor to activate and complete the synchronization process prior to the information being displayed. This also means that the user may not receive new data in a timely manner, since this technology does not notify the user when there are updates available. Furthermore, this solution can require an “alignment device” to aid the wireless communication link between a watch and PDA. In this case, a high level of user interaction is required. Furthermore, the communication is a synchronization, which lengthens the time the wireless communication is active and negatively impacts battery life.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,714,486 to Biggs teaches a system and method for customized time display. Biggs is concerned with displaying time and other chronological data on a display of a portable timepiece. However, the data is sent to the display as image parameter data rather than raw text. The disadvantage of this is that a more complex hardware design is needed to support the memory required for storing and displaying image data.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,979 to Powell teaches a method of indicating an incoming call through a remotely located receiving device. This avoids situations where a cell phone would audibly ring at the same time as the external device vibrates, as they both indicate the same event of an incoming call. However, this solution only concerns the signalling of incoming telephone calls by an external device. There exists a switch for whether the incoming call is connected or disconnected to the audible signalling system of the transmitter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,525,997 to Narayanaswami concerns a wearable wristwatch that can connect wirelessly to another source to access information, and it then uses software to display it in a specified orientation. It can vary the size of the displayed objects (such as the hour and minute hands of the clock) depending on the orientation. It uses a touch screen as a method of input. One disadvantage of this is that the watch display changes in size when set in elliptical mode. That is, the minute and hour hands of the watch face shorten and elongate depending on the angle. This could cause readability issues for users because the hands are continually changing sizes. Another disadvantage of the elliptical mode is that screen real estate is wasted in that the watch display is not using the majority of the screen. The ellipse shape necessitates that the watch dial be smaller than the ideal circular or square configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,779 to Gaskill et al. deals with a paging device that can receive messages and can display them while also displaying icons. The icons can change to indicate which type of message has been received by the device, and Gaskill discusses how each message should be numbered and what the device should do in the case that the user is looking at one message while another is received. An icon is displayed if a message number indicates that a message has been missed. A disadvantage with this solution is that all messages are stored on the “pager” device itself, and its storage can fill up if the user does not delete any previously stored messages. Another disadvantage is that this is a paging device, meaning that it links wirelessly to a network by itself. For practical purposes, the user would need to carry a cell phone or smart phone with a separate data and/or voice plan in order to return a call or respond to a message.
It is therefore an object of the following to address at least one of the above-noted disadvantages.